Wednesday, June 22, 2011

College-Style

College-Style

The Golden Rules of Shopping Thrift

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:12 AM PDT

By: AJ of University of Georgia. Follow me @arrrcher.

Although thrifting can prove fruitful for shoppers and their bank accounts alike, basic, seemingly unspoken rules lie beneath. Thrifting isn't just something that you can simply do — it's an art.

The general guidelines for thrifting are as follows:

1. To get the most out of shopping thrift, you have to walk into the store with full dedication and low expectations. Honestly, you can't find something on every excursion. There are times when you can dedicate hours at a time to shopping and find only items that either don't fit or are just plain unfashionable. In the worst-case scenario, you could leave empty-handed — and that's perfectly OK.

2. Thrifting is not for everyone. The successful thrift shopper dedicates hours to digging around the clothing racks. Sure, some pieces will catch your eye as you browse, but others require you to become more involved, moving other items around and playing "I spy" for literal hidden treasure.

3. When you locate and try on a piece that fits, make sure you will actually wear it and that you really do like it for its entire personality — down to every little chipped button and loose thread. Also, make sure you have an idea as to what you can do with it if you buy it. Never buy something because it looks nice by itself — thrifters thrive when they consider every piece for what it can be as a component of an outfit.

4. When you've found the pieces that you like and you think that you're ready to go, reconsider. You may not be done just yet, as there is always something stowed away in a nook or cranny. Remember that jacket your eyes lingered on while you were browsing? Be an equal opportunity shopper and give it a chance.

5. This should go without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway. Being in college, you may not do your laundry as often as you should. Do yourself a favor and wash these clothes. Chances are they're fine to wear as is, but you can never be sure until you clean them yourself.

If you're willing to dedicate yourself to these rules, you are officially ready to shop thrift. You may even turn out leaving the stores with hand-me-down gold like the items I’ve scored.

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